# Note Taker HD — user reviews > 573 indexed App Store user reviews of Note Taker HD by Software Garden, rated 4.00/5 from 139 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-taker-hd/id366572045/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-taker-hd/id366572045.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 87 · 4★ 15 · 3★ 10 · 2★ 10 · 1★ 17 ## What do users think of Note Taker HD? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Fantastic app, great for engineering and customer communication - 👍 Text and sketching on the same page - 👍 Typed notes are more legible than handwritten - 👍 Typed text remains as editable text objects - 👍 Zoom window for precise drawing - 👍 Each element remains a distinct object that can be moved/modified - 👍 Useful for a variety of use cases **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes when exporting PDFs - 🐛 Crashes when adding photos - 🐛 Crashes and loses data - 🐛 Exporting to email not working well - 🔍 Interface not very intuitive, steep learning curve **Commonly reported bugs** - Crashes when exporting PDFs - Crashes when adding photos - Crashes and loses data - Exporting to email not working well **Most requested features** - Evernote integration - Ability to scroll between pages - Ability to underline, bold or italicize typed text - Ability to group objects together - Voice recording and clip function - Dropbox/iCloud sync and backup - Ability to convert handwriting to text - Folders and sub-folders for better organization - Ability to rotate objects ## Newest reviews (20 of 573) ### 5/5 — We will never have a better app ! *2022-06-06, version 7.0.1* Simply the best of the world ! ### 5/5 — Makes the iPad Great for Work *2022-05-31, version 7.0.1* I turn to this app on a daily basis for my job. Whether for annotating my reviews on a PDF report, creating a flow diagram to help a group with developing a process, filling out a form for HR, or just using one of the many useful templates that come with the app, this helps me focus on getting my work done effectively. I have enjoyed using this for at least 10 years. I have tried a lot of other note-taking apps, but this one alone stands the test of time. The developers have my deepest gratitude; my iPad would not be useful to me without this app. ### 5/5 — Observation *2021-11-07, version 7.0.1* Wonderful app! Once you get the idea how it works, and know the features available, the app becomes an amazing tool for note taking. GOOD WORK! ### 4/5 — I use it to this day *2021-09-29, version 7.0.1* I have used it from the first version or so I believe. I still have it and I still use it. I can’t argue with that. ### 5/5 — A great note taking app and easy to use *2021-09-26, version 7.0.1* I take a lot of notes for work and used to fill different note books which I then would have to comb through to find what I needed. NoteTakerHD has allowed me to have all my notes in one place. It is easy or organize and find what I am looking for. It has lots of flexibility and the developer is quick to reply to questions. ### 5/5 — Re-Installed after a few years *2021-08-01, version 7.0.1* Although this hasn’t had an update for a while, and i used this app many years ago, i was looking for a way to put a watermark on a pdf….and i remembered, i think Notetaker HD does that. So then i re-installed the app and then i re-discovered all the other handy things it could do with pdf’s. Still works well in 2021 though you can tell it has the UI from many years ago. Worth using in conjunction with the other pdf app i use, PDF Expert. If you work with pdf’s you will find many unusual things this app can do. An update to allow drag and drop would be good though not critical. But i guess if it ain’t really broke, then don’t fix it. Can use in split screen which is good. As is the way with most things apple you may need 2 or 3 different apps to do all the things you need. This is one of those apps. ### 2/5 — Anti-intuitive *2021-01-20, version 7.0.1* This app is not for everybody. It's the first piece of software that I've touched that required constant help assistance. But even the help is a mess and no, I will not watch you tube to take note. A waste of time and money. ### 5/5 — The best ! *2021-01-16, version 7.0.1* I love this app ! Using it since almost 7 years, it s the best I ever found to take note and keep my docs. Very usefull ! Please keep it updated :-) ### 5/5 — Dependable, great app *2020-12-03, version 7.0.1* I have been using this app for 8+ years now and I still love it so much. So easy to take neat, readable notes which I am personally incapable of doing on a physical paper. Every feature I have used has been very reliable and never buggy, which is truly amazing after so many years. ### 5/5 — Best App I Own! *2020-08-17, version 7.0.1* I've downloaded over 100 apps, and this is the app that is the most impressive. I originally got it to use for handwritten notes, but it is a phenomenal app for preparing typewritten notes too. I can add photos & shapes, align the items to look professional, change the background, make handwritten or typed comments, and then send it as a PDF to clients. ### 3/5 — Help *2020-06-21, version 7.0.1* After years of satisfaction my app will not open today and I can’t find files. Need to know how to get suppprt. Notetaker for iPad! Thank you ### 5/5 — Question for you *2020-06-09, version 7.0.1* Btw great app been using for 8 years or more ... I just downloaded the app to my iphone ... is there a way to sync the two ? IPad & iPhone ? ### 5/5 — Primary app for me *2020-06-03, version 7.0.1* Been using it since my iPad 3 days. The only note taking app I own. I use it for business and personal notes. Very pleased with it, especially on the iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil. ### 5/5 — Just Updated - Express, share and manage your ideas *2020-05-28, version 7.0.0* Note Taker HD is for more than taking notes. The modest price does not reflect the functionality that is built into the App. As a six-plus year user of Note Taker HD, I’ve found many uses for the App. The developer, a time tested programmer developed Note Taker HD, evolving the application’s functionality, now updating Note Taker HD for improved idea and note taking and management. Yes, some of the tutorials are out of date. Forget them, get Note Taker HD, the “full help, in App” manual is up to date and comprehensive. Then use the video tutorials for additional information. The full featured Note Taker HD will impress users with the many ways it can be used to capture ideas. The file management structure is first rate. Duplicate files, create templates and select different backgrounds to aid drawings. File backups, you bet - now made easier with the newer iOS. iPhone or iPad Pro, full screen or split screen. Print or share documents with ease. I use an iPad Pro, I have not tried it on an iPhone or iPad. The App is designed to work on all screen sizes. The small cost is not an introductory price. After you use Note Taker HD for a few months, return rate and post your review. ### 5/5 — Simply the best *2020-05-26, version 7.0.0* Those using this app merely for note taking are missing the beauty of this app. I have found this app to be THE BEST file manager app for the iPad. It's great for organizing documents, templates, brochures, adding annotations to them, capturing signatures, etc. This allows me to send out necessary documents manipulated to my preference to clients or to other apps (like Filepad for free faxing) in one easy step. Note taking for this app is only the beginning!! Also I for got, u can merge pdf's , unmerge them, rearrange them. This app needs a cloud service and an iPhone equivalent. Update: the new 7.0 update just made this hidden gem even better! -Split screen. -Now works on iPhone This app deserves 10 stars! ### 4/5 — An update! *2020-05-26, version 7.0.0* Very happy with the last update. ### 5/5 — Does what it needs to do, very well *2020-05-24, version 7.0.0* Not the most fancy or pretty app available for note taking, but in my opinion certainly the most efficient. If you can look past the very basic (and at the start confusing) interface, you will find a very powerful tool for note taking or pdf annotation during classes. ### 5/5 — NoteTaker HD is AWESOME *2020-05-15, version 7.0.0* I have used this APP for 5 yrs and it is the only document processing app I use. It is used in conjunction with Blueprints, furniture location/fabric photos & notation. It is simple to organize Projects, files within the projects; share with others, proofread and change documents. Suport is AWESOME, on line tuitorials are very informative. Thanks for the upgrade NoteTaker HD! ### 5/5 — Wonderful *2020-05-15, version 7.0.0* I use it all the time. Could not live without. ### 4/5 — Very Versatile Note Taking App, But Falling Behind.... *2019-12-16, version 6.12.1* Super note taker, but not keeping up with iOS (v13) capability - specifically multitasking. Split View, does not work and should be a basic function of all productivity apps. Developer seems less active recently than in the past. I hope this excellent app does not fall by the wayside as I have relied on it since the very first iPad many years ago. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Inking is worst on iPad Pro 2nd gen 12.9 inch iOS 13 *2019-10-24, version 6.11.3* Inking experience is worst on iPad Pro.inking looks faded.my money got wasted.think twice before buying.app is either not compatable to iOS 13 or to my device. ### 1/5 — Used to be great *2019-09-02, version 6.11.3* Crashes all the time now. Developers please fix!! ### 1/5 — Confusing Like You - 😱 *2018-11-23, version 6.11.3* ⭐️-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️=😈👿😈👿😈👿. Please insert cash money to continue being tortured. Note Taker rocked handwriting on the iPad and iOS and then completely fell apart, didn't update or make the app better and is so far behind other handwriting apps and iOS updates that it is no longer useable on any iOS device running iOS 11-12. This app should be amazing by now. What rating can one possibly give a company or product that had so much potential and could have rocked its' future, and yet chose laziness? Really. I would like to know. This has become an App epidemic that is costing us all uneccessary time, inconvenience and outrageous cost. ### 1/5 — App crashes upon export *2018-08-10, version 6.11.3* App crashes upon export. DO NOT BUY ### 1/5 — Crashes *2018-08-02, version 6.11.3* The app crashes when I try to add a photo. Can’t use it until this is fixed. ### 1/5 — No support *2018-06-26, version 6.10* No updates, now won't even open. Worked great before, but developer took a hike. ### 1/5 — No go with the Apple Pencil *2018-04-26, version 6.11.3* Not designed for use with the Apple Pencil. Any touch of your hand registers an input. Wasted money for me. ### 1/5 — Not Supported by ios 11 until it is updated. *2017-11-19, version 6.10* Not Supported by ios 11 until it is updated. :-( ### 1/5 — 無法匯出 *2017-08-08, version 6.10* 匯出檔案時一直閃退，寫完筆記沒辦法匯出成pdf 還是付費app 讓人受氣😠 ### 1/5 — Best note taking app if you are willing to learn *2017-01-31, version 6.10* Update (January 2017): I have to drop my 5 star rating to 1. It appears this app may be dead. Emails to the support site now bounce back. I'm coming to the conclusion it's not safe to store your critical notes in a third party app. I'm sticking with Apple Notes and plain paper and pens. :-( Update: just a quick update that after looking at some of the newer note apps this is still the most solid professional featured apps for note taking. Still highly recommended. Original review: This is one of those apps where the reviews may seem strange. They gravitate toward the ends. People love or hate it. Unlike apps like Notability, this app is probably not instantly usable for most. There are a lot of buttons and features. If you are willing to watch the videos and read the manual you will be fine. If you take your time and still have problems you might be happier with a plain pen and paper (and there's nothing wrong with that). But if you are willing to put in some time here's why this app is so good. 1. It's not constantly updated. Yes this is actually good for an app that becomes critical to your workflow. Ask the users of Penultimate about that. 2. It's solid. I've yet to see a crash. That doesn't mean it might not but it's one the most solid apps you'll find. Again critical for something important like your notes. 3. The charting, calendar and flow charting tools are very nice. This is almost a mini Visio in that regard. The app is also MUCH smaller than other apps. This version is 6 mb. Programs like goodnotes run over 100 mb! As a software developer myself I can tell you it's much harder to write small efficient code. It speaks well of the developer. I can't speak to the support issues as I haven't used support so the complaints there may be justified. But the program itself is solid.You have to be willing to spend a little time learning and you will get a lot out of this program. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Still love this after all these years *2026-02-06, version 7.1.1* This was the first, but not last, Notetaking app I downloaded, but after at least twelve years or so it’s still my favorite. It’s basic and (mostly) simple to use, and that’s the charm. Anyone who wants a reliable app need not look any further. ### 5/5 — Great app *2025-06-05, version 7.1.1* Fantastic app, saved me tons of time…great app for engineering and sending exact information to customers. Superb ### 5/5 — Text and sketching on the same page! *2025-04-29, version 7.0.1* I have been using Note Taker HD for many years. It was the first note taking app I found where free-hand drawing and typed text can co-exist in same page. This is hands-down my favorite aspect of this app. Typed notes are so much more legible than hand-written. My handwriting is just so-so on regular paper and atrocious in sketch apps. As a bonus, the typed text remains as a text object rather than being incorporated into the page graphics, meaning the text can be edited at will. My second favorite feature is the zoom window that opens at the bottom of the page. This provide much more precision when drawing and prevents errant marks from wrist-detection, which I find rarely works in sketch/note apps. As mentioned above, every element on the page, including the page background, remains as a separate object. You may ask, “so what?” Well with each element remaining a distinct objet, that object can be moved, modified and even deleted without affecting other elements. For example, if you select a grid background because you are drawing mechanical-type illustrations, but don’t want the grid visible on printed output, simply change to a blank background and output. My only negative is that there is no direct way to export to Evernote, which is my document filing system. However, I use the “output” button and simply mail it to my Evernote email address which places it in my Inbox. Not really any different than capturing a drawing on paper using Scannable; I still have to type in a title and file it. With the Evernote email, I can get fancy with keywords in email subject to direct Evernote to place the note in desired notebook and assign desired tags to it. Lastly, I had been using Penultimate, but became extremely annoyed with the constant pop up of “Camera/Photo” whenever touching stylus to iPad writing area, and it’s inability to type in text directly. It appears Penultimate is now deprecated. So now I’m back to Note Taker HD, this time to stay. ### 5/5 — Easy to use, powerful, awesome! *2024-12-28, version 7.1.1* Rich features and easy to use, very friendly design and excellent to write, draw, paste image and so son. Absolutely useful. ### 5/5 — Does everything I need and never fails *2024-12-22, version 7.1.1* i’ve been using this app for probably 10 years not really sure, but I work as a professional interpreter, and I do all my notetaking on this app. That’s a lot of trust in an iPad app, because if we get stuck, having to read back our notes and we lose the notes or can’t read them for some reason we are toast. I have even been able to import a PDF background of the kind of notebooks. I typically use to take interpreting notes in, so it’s completely comfortable seeing the same lined page in the same separation on the page. Being able to switch colors is great. I use it primarily for handwritten notes, because interpreting notes are not really taken in complete sentences or words, words, but I’ve tried the other features, and they all work perfectly. ### 5/5 — Still very good! *2024-12-07, version 7.1.1* It remains my favourite after all these years. ### 5/5 — It will become priority software *2024-09-28, version 7.1.1* I don’t remember exactly when I started using NoteTaker HD, but it was long enough ago that it has been one of my first installs on several iPads by now. It is a favorite because of the many things it can do, and therefore because of all the solutions it provides me, as I process through all the dang information that moves across my consciousness every day. And, because Dan Bricklin is so engaged with the product (in the videos, responses to questions, etc.),I feel a personal connection to NoteTaker HD, unlike other soulless apps from God knows who. NoteTaker HD does so many things that, if you are new, you should allow yourself time to just play and wade into it. Before long, you’ll start to realize the power you can have to organize and manage all that information, and you, too, will have lots of wow moments and priority downloads onto new generations of iPads. ### 5/5 — Best thing since VisiCalc *2024-09-10, version 7.1.1* I remember doing a very complex spreadsheet by hand —.except it wasn’t called a spreadsheet then, and after several weeks of work, inputting the numbers into my new PC1 with VisiCalc in an hour one Sunday morning and then watching with amazement as the cells flickered and gave teh correct answers. Weeks of work reduced to one hour. I felt the same way when I started using NoteTakerHD HD many years ago. As an academic who has to synthesize the important points of many papers and publications, this is a life-saver. I cannot imagine doing my work without it. I have searched diligently, but found nothing comparable. I just wish it was available for Windows as well. Don Milliken ### 5/5 — Best pdf annotation app and note taker *2024-09-08, version 7.1.1* This is a must if you do any annotation or signing PDF’s. Note taking is easy, clean and functional. One of the few apps that works like it is supposed to. ### 5/5 — Solid as a rock, year after year *2022-10-06, version 7.0.1* I started using NoteTakerHD in 2010 on my iPad 2, entering data into my homegrown social work encounter form, imported as a .pdf and saved as a template. I chose NoteTakerHD because it was the only note taking app password protected and encrypted to HIPAA standard. I have used this app every working day since, now installed on an iPad Pro 11 inch. Never a glitch. Stone cold reliable. Other apps for taking notes may have more features, but I trust this only this one for my psychotherapy notes, all sensitive, health-protected documents. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*